With new FDA approvals allowing Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccinations for teens ages 12-15, the Massachusetts eligibility status plan has been updated.

COVID-19 Phases Vaccination Timing by Group

The vaccination plan was guided by Commonwealth’s COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Group, which, according to their website, is “a diverse group launched in October consisting of medical professionals, public health experts, elected officials, community leaders, and infectious disease specialists.”

The plan was centered around vaccinating the most vulnerable originally, and with almost half of Massachusetts’s total population vaccinated as of May 16, the plan is in its third phase. This new development allows potentially 400,000 new vaccinations, in a move towards protecting most of the population.

With the CDC easing virus restrictions for vaccinated people, allowing them to forgo mask-wearing and social distancing in most situations, more and more people can begin to return to their pre-pandemic lives.